Composite beam.



W. P. FRANCIS.

COMPOSITE BEAM.

ATION nuzo AUG 6 APPLIC 19 I 4. 1 1 97,363, Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

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g WITNESSES M INVENTOB I g fgw m/wm/ mc/ fiam M17 By I ATTORNEYS W. P. FRANCIS.

COMPOSITE BEAM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.6. 1914 BY mw A TTOR/VE V8 a Em Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WITNESSES v.mmm LITHOJVASHINLTON n g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM PINCKNEY FRA NCIS, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

COMPOSITE BEAM.

Application field August 6, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PINGKNEY F RANGIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Composite Beam, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to building construction, and more particularly to composite beams of that type having a metallic skeleton frame or reinforce which carries the brickwork, tiling or the like constituting the body of the beam.

The invention has for its general objects to improve the construction of the metallic skeleton frame or reinforce so as to be comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and of such design as to provide a maximum strength with a minimum of material.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved beam reinforce comprising a novel arrangement of pairs of angle bars which are tied together by a rod which extends longitudinally of one pair of bars at the middle thereof and is bent zigzag and extends from one pair of bars to the other, with which the bends are united, there being concrete filling between each pair of bars, whereby the bars and rod are anchored together so as to form a rigid unitary structure capable of withstanding great strains.

With such objects in view, and others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain embodiments of the invention, and wherein similar characters of ref erence indicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the beam with only part of the metallic reinforcing element thereof incased in the brick so as to illustrate the details of construction; Fig. 2 is a side view of the reinforcing element; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the composite beam; Figs. 4c and 5 are respectively sectional views on lines 44 and 55, Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a detail view of the lower end of the central tie element of the reinforcing frame; Fig. 7 is a sectional View of a modified form of the invention;

Specification of Letters Patent.

surface for the brickwork.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 855,432.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on-the line 88, Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawing, A designates a composite beam which may be supported in any suitable manner, as for instance by its ends resting on piers, columns or other supports B, and in the present instance the body of the beam is shown as consisting of bricks 1, bottom tiles 2 and atop facing 3, which may be concrete, or slabs, tiling or other material, but it is to be understood that other building material than brick may be employed to constitute the main part of the body of the beam. The skeleton reinforcing frame 0 extends the full length of the beam and is disposed centrally thereof and constitutes the foundation on which the brickwork is placed, the brickwork and tiling incasing the metallic reinforcing element 0.

The reinforcing frame C comprises a pair of upper angle bars 4, a pair of lower angle bars 5, a longitudinal tie rod 6 and a vertical tie element 7 The angle bars 4 are oppositely disposed and spaced apart, being united by rivets or equivalent fastenings 8 which pass through the vertically disposed flanges 9 of the angle bars while the upper horizontal flanges 10 project outwardly in opposite directions in a common plane.

The lower angle bars 5 are oppositely disposed and spaced apart, but the horizontal flanges 11 are lowermost while the vertical flanges 12 are in the same plane with the flanges ,9 of the upper angle bar, such vertical flanges 12 being connected by rivets 13.

The horizontal flanges 11 extend outwardly almost to the sides of the composite beam, so as to provide a substantial supporting The tie rod 6 has a horizontal portion 14 which extends between and in parallel relation to the lower angle bars 5 at the middle and about onethird the length thereof, and the rest of the rod 6 is bent into zigzag form, one extremity being reversely or symmetrically arranged with respect to the other. At the ends of the straight portion 14 the bar 6 has upwardly and outwardly bent portions 15 that are connected by bends 16 with vertical portions 17, and these latter are connected by bends 18 with inclined portions 19 parallel with the portions 15, the portions 19 being in turn connected by bends 20 with vertical portions 21 which terminate in bends or hooks 22. The bends 16 and 20 are disposed between the upper angle bars 4, while the bends 1A, 18 and 22 are disposed between the lower angle bars 5, and the various bends are disposed around the rivets 18 and 13, so that the rod 6 serves as means for tying the two pairs of angle bars together at a plurality of spaced points. The straight central part of the rod 6 resists longitudinal strains, while the inclined portions 15 and 19 resist downward strains due to loads on the center of thebeam. Since the bars are spaced apart to receive the straight part of the rod 6 and the bends thereof, the space between the bars can be, with good results, filled with cement 23 or other plastic material, whereby the parts of the metallic reinforcing frame are rigidly secured together for a unitary stable structure. Were it not for the concrete 23 the bars 4 could move downwardly and the bars 5 upwardly, as these bars are not rigidly connected with the zigzag rod by the rivets S and 13, but the concrete filled in between the pairs of bars l and the pairs of bars 5 maintains all of said bars rigidly in fixed relation. To enable the cement 23 to embed around the rod 6 the vertical flanges of the angle bars may have internal channels or grooves 2% rolled therein, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 5. However, if angle irons having straight vertical flanges 25, as shown in Fig. 7, are employed, the portions of the rod 6 that are disposed between the angle bars may be provided with spacers 26 each in the form of a wire coiled one or more times around the rod 6, so that the said spacers will keep the angle bars out of contact with the rod 6 and thereby allow the cement to entirely surround the said rod. At the center of the beam the tie element 7 unites the rod 6 with the upper angle-bars 4. This tie element 7 is in the form of a metal strip having a longitudinal split 27 at its lower end so as to form two members 28 which are bent around the rod 6, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The upper end of this element 7 is split into two members 29 which pass upwardly from between the angle bars 4 and are respectively bent in opposite directions and formed into hooks 30 which engage the horizontal flanges 10 of the angle bars 4.

In laying the beam the metallic reinforcing structure C is first placed in position and then the bottom tiles 2 are applied thereto. Each tile has embedded therein anchoring wires or equivalent means 31, and the nuts 32 thereof extend out of the upper surface of the tiles, and these are bent inwardly over the edges of the horizontal flanges 11 of the lower angle irons, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. After the tiles are thus applied the brick or other material that forms the body of the beam is laid in the usual manner, thereby incasing the metal reinforcing structure, and finally the .urfacing layer or facing 3 of cement, plaster or any other suitable material is applied to the top of the beam body.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily under stood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and While I have described the "principle of operation, together with the structure which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a combined metal and concrete reinforce for beams, said reinforce comprising upper and lower pairs of spaced bars, and a rod bent back and forth and having its alternate bends disposed between the upper and lower pairs of bars, and concrete filling the spaces between the bars for anchoring the bends of the rods thereto.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a combined metal and concrete reinforce for beams, said reinforce comprising upper and lower pairs of spaced bars, and a rod bent back and forth and having its alternate bends disposed between the upper and lower pairs of bars, and concrete filling the spaces between the bars for anchoring the bends of the rods thereto, and bolts passing through each pair of bars and around which the bends of the rods engage.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a combined metal and concrete reinforce for beams, comprising upper and lower pairs of spaced bars, bolts securing each pair of bars together, a rod having its central portion lying only between one pair of bars and its outer portions bent into oppositely disposed zigzag form, with the bends lying alternately between the pairs of bars, and the bends engaging around the bolts, con crete filling the space between the bars and cooperating with the bolts to anchor the rod to the bars, and a central tie element extending from one pair of bars to the other and connected therewith.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM PINCKNEY FRANCIS.

Witnesses HARRY Donn, FREDERICK T. RILEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). C. 

